Data storytelling is emerging as a critical component of data and analytics. Since we are visual creatures, data enriched by effective, human-centered design principles is the best way to convey clear and compelling insights. So what do you need to know to do it well and how can you get your company to see value in it? 

In this episode, Cassidy speaks with David Ciommo, Data Visualization Principal at Humana, about making the jump from visual storytelling to data storytelling and how he established a data storytelling discipline within his company. 

David is a data storyteller and data literacy advocate and the first ever winner of the Best Data Storyteller Award presented by Narrative Science. A trained illustrator, he began his career in graphic design and art direction before pivoting to data storytelling with no data or analytics background. What he did know was how to take data and tell stories with it. 

At Humana, David founded the Visualization Center of Excellence, an internal site created to share style guides, tip sheets, and other resources around data storytelling and data literacy. His overarching goal is to combine purposeful human-centered design principles with first class data visualizations in an effort to provide meaningful insights and tangible actionable opportunities to the leadership at Humana. 

We discuss: 

-Translating visual storytelling skills to data storytelling 

-Establishing data storytelling within the analytics team 

-The genesis of the Visualization Center of Excellence 

-Why you should always start with the story 

-Teaching data storytelling to others 

-Launching a data literacy campaign 

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